Fixing hockey culture requires more than just leadership change, experts say

The resignation of the CEO and board of Hockey Canada in the wake of a sexual assault scandal is not enough to cause meaningful change in the sport's culture, according to hockey commentator Tara Slone.

Slone, the former host of Hometown Hockey and Top of Her Game on Sportsnet, said changing leadership will not accomplish anything if the status quo is upheld. 

"I think hockey currently has a built-in culture of entitlement, a built-in culture of misogyny, a built-in culture of secrecy," Slone said.

"One of the primary things that I'd like to see shift, and I know that a lot of the sponsors are looking to this, is, to create a culture of enjoyment where hockey is fun and cultivates a good, well-rounded human being, as opposed to just cultivate winners."

She said hockey is a very insular culture that is predominantly white.

If hockey is to foster a spirit of inclusion, Slone said, it needs to look for people who have experiences outside the "hockey norm."

Slone said Hockey Canada's announcement that an interim board will be appointed to examine the governance of the organization ahead of an election scheduled for Dec. 17 raises questions about how appointments will be made.

Not limited to hockey

Wendy MacGregor, an independent safe sport consultant, told CBC Radio's Information Morning that the problem is not limited to hockey.

She said it is pervasive in so-called "power and performance sports" and team sports like hockey, football, basketball and rugby.

MacGregor said statistics show that male athletes are more likely to be involved in sexual violence than the general population.

Aggression is rewarded in power and performance sports, MacGregor said, and that kind of aggression is also associated with sexual drive in a positive way in that culture. 

That leads to athletes developing a feeling of entitlement to sex, she said.

MacGregor said a number of issues need to be addressed  including the fact that at the age of 14 or 15, teammates and coaches become the primary influence on players rather than their families.

Closed institutions like sports teams, the military and fraternities can lead to a hypermasculine and homogenous group identity that doesn't allow for independent thinking, MacGregor said. 

She said this can perpetuate "homophobic, racist and sexist ideologies" sometimes.

One solution, MacGregor said, is to encourage athletes to participate more in local events and social causes so as to build a connection to their community and a sense of social responsibility.

The emphasis on drinking and partying in team bonding can also lead to dangerous outcomes, she said.

"This excessive drinking culture and bragging about sexual exploits is actually a perfect parallel to the behaviours that have been studied of convicted sexual offenders," she said.